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Authors: Franklin W. Dixon

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BOOK: The Viking Symbol Mystery
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“Wow!” Joe exclaimed. “There's nothing small up
there!”
“Oh, yes, there is,” Mr. Hardy went on, “but sometimes the smallest things are the most dangerous and troublesome.”
“What are they?” asked Chet in surprise.
“Insects,” Mr. Hardy answered. “The bigger animals are usually kept under control, but the gnats, mosquitoes, and black flies are a real problem. Even though they're small, they can be very vicious, especially the black flies. They have been known to kill unprotected men and animals by stinging them to death.”
“Sure must be rugged!” Joe remarked, impressed. “We'll have to take mosquito netting along.”
Chet eyed him suspiciously. “Don't sound so happy about it!”
Mr. Hardy leaned over the atlas on the table and pointed out to the boys exactly where Great Slave Lake was in relation to Edmonton.
With a wink at his brother, Joe said to Chet, “We'll send you a snapshot of the unlucky rune stone if we come across it.”
For a moment the plump boy's face was a study of conflicting emotions. Then a slow grin spread over his features.
“Okay, fellows, you win!” he declared. “I'm not going to be scared out of the trip by any little old stone. Count me in!”
Mr. Hardy and his sons laughed. “That's the spirit, Detective Morton!” The older sleuth cheered him.
The next morning Frank and Joe started for the airport right after an early breakfast, eager to begin their float-plane lessons. At the field, Jack Wayne greeted the boys with a warm handshake and smile. The tanned, lean young pilot had taught them to fly in his own plane,
Skyhappy Sal.
“Ready for lesson number one?” he asked with a grin.
“You bet.”
Jack took them over to the seaplane dock, where a sleek, four-place monoplane was moored. Here he showed the brothers the construction of the pontoons on the craft. Next, he explained the function of the water rudder, saying it helped steer the plane while taxiing.
“Let's take her up,” Jack suggested, “and you'll see the difference between land planes and float planes in action.”
The three climbed inside and the pilot taxied the aircraft out over the choppy waters of Barmet Bay.
“Always watch for floating objects on take-off,” Jack cautioned the Hardys. “They're usually the cause of accidents.”
The craft planed along the water, throwing a spray from either side. When they were in the air, Jack gave the controls first to Frank, then to Joe. Both boys found the landing and take-off procedures quite different from a conventional airplane.
“In take-off,” explained Jack Wayne, “you must use enough power to get the plane ‘on the step,' or planing.”
Frank looked puzzled. “That means,” went on Wayne, “that you give it enough speed so the plane is riding on just the very bottom section of the float.”
“Then it's planing on top of the water?” asked Joe.
“Exactly,” agreed the instructor. “When you're on the step, all you need is a little back pressure on the stick and you're airborne.”
“Is there ever any trouble?” Joe queried.
“Not really. If the water is a dead flat calm, it's sometimes difficult to get the plane on the step. The surface tension will hold it down.”
“Then what?” questioned Frank.
“Just push the stick to one side very gently, keeping your rudder bar in the center position. This gentle, even pressure will lift one float out of the water.”
“Then pull back on the stick and off you go,” said Frank.
“Right. Now, Frank, I want you to try a couple of solo take-offs and landings. Joe and I'll be waiting on the dock.”
Frank grinned in anticipation as Jack landed. After Jack Wayne and Joe had stepped out, Frank manned the craft alone. He had no trouble taking off, because there was enough chop on the bay for him to get up on the step easily.
Frank loved the exhilaration of piloting a plane. His first landing went well, and he thrilled at the way the pontoons dropped stern first into the water.
As Frank took off the second time, he waved his wings to Jack and Joe. After circling twice, Frank turned for his second landing. Jack's instructions went through his mind—line up plenty of water, back gently on the throttle, lower the water rudder. Finally, center the stick and rudder and let her stall in.
As the aircraft slapped into the water, Frank eased the throttle ahead a fraction. He was going to keep it up on the step and plane across the bay so Joe could have a turn.
The aircraft bounced easily on the step, and as he skipped across the water, he felt the tremendous sensation of speed. Frank pulled the throttle back to cut the power, and pressed the rudder bar to turn the aircraft into the wind toward the dock. As the plane started to veer, he suddenly remembered Jack's warning:
“Never try turning into the wind if the aircraft is moving at high speed,” Jack had said.
It was too late!
Bang!
Frank felt the jerk as the starboard wing dipped into the water. As he glanced out, the plane's nose dipped into the bay, and his head crashed against the dashboard. The water came rushing up at him.
“Frank crashed!” yelled Joe, staring in horror at the overturned float plane.
“Quick—into my outboard!” Jack urged. He and Joe ran to a small motorboat tied up nearby.
In less than a minute the boat was speeding out over the bay toward the plane, which lay on its side, one wing pointing in the air.
By the time they reached it, Joe had his shirt and shoes off. As Jack throttled down, Joe dived over the side and swam underwater to the submerged cockpit.
Desperately Joe wrenched the door of the aircraft open. He groped wildly for the seat belt, which he unfastened. Then, bracing his feet against the doorframe, Joe grabbed Frank's shoulders and pulled him free.
Joe's lungs were ready to burst as he dragged his brother to the surface. When they broke through, Jack was leaning over the side of the boat. He reached for Frank and hauled him aboard. Joe scrambled up and applied artificial respiration while Jack raced the boat to shore.
Suddenly Frank stirred and both rescuers gave a sigh of relief.
“Don't try
that
stunt again!” Joe grinned at his brother, but inwardly shuddered as he thought of Frank's close call.
“No fear of that!” Frank grinned back. “One crack on the noggin's enough!”
When they reached shore, Frank insisted he felt well enough to ride home. His only injury was a bruise on his forehead. “Hope I didn't put your plane out of commission, Jack,” he said.
“I'm sure the mechanics can fix it up,” Jack replied, adding that he would have the craft refloated immediately.
Frank smiled wanly at Joe. “I ruined your chance to do a solo. Sorry.”
“I'll get a turn,” Joe said cheerfully.
The boys returned home and hurried up to their room without encountering their mother or aunt. They showered and put on dry clothes.
At the supper table the boys' family commented on Frank's darkening bruise. The brothers told of Frank's miscalculation, but made light of the incident.
Later that evening, while they were studying the maps of the Great Slave Lake area, the phone rang. Joe answered and a woman at the other end of the line said:
“This is Miss Shannon at the public library. Chet Morton mentioned that you boys are interested in Viking rune stones. I was wondering if you took out one of our reference books on the subject by mistake.”
“Of course not,” said Joe. “What book is it?”
“One of the most valuable in our collection,” Miss Shannon replied.
“Rune Stones and Viking Symbols
by Peter Baker-Jones.”
CHAPTER V
Detective's Double
AT the name Peter Baker-Jones, Joe was instantly alert. “The man in the Edmonton hospital!” he recalled. “The one who bought the rune stone and was knocked out.”
And now a valuable book by Baker-Jones was missing from the Bayport Library!
“Are you still on the line?” Miss Shannon's voice broke into his thoughts.
“Oh—sorry,” Joe apologized. “Frank and I don't have the book. But I'd like very much to know who took it.”
“So would we,” the librarian said sadly. “Well, I thought I'd just ask you about it to make sure.”
Joe said good-by and replaced the telephone in its stand. He walked slowly back to the living room.
“What's up?” Frank asked, seeing the puzzled look on his brother's face. Quickly Joe explained.
“This means,” Frank said excitedly, “there's someone else here in Bayport who's interested in the missing rune stone!
If
the book was stolen, that is.”
“I have a hunch it was,” Joe stated. “Frank, do you think Kelly could have had something to do with this case, as well as the one Radley has been working on?”
“He certainly could. And the book may be just what the thieves need to figure out the runic symbols.”
Just then the doorbell rang. It was Chet. The Hardys told him about Miss Shannon's call. Chet listened carefully, then said, “I looked over the complete collection of Viking books, and I don't remember seeing that title. The one by Baker-Jones must have been taken before I was there.”
“Which could have been before our aerial was pulled down,” Frank said. “By this time the book might be in Canada.”
“Maybe you'll know for sure the day after tomorrow,” came Mr. Hardy's voice from the doorway.
“You mean we'll leave for Edmonton then?” Joe asked excitedly.
“Yes.” The detective said that he had overheard the boys' discussion of the missing book. “So I think you three had better get started north and see what you can learn from Mr. Baker-Jones,” the detective concluded with a smile.
“That'll be our first step,” Frank said.
The boys stayed up talking about their trip and speculating on the mysteries until Chet began to yawn.
“I'd better get all the sleep I can now,” Chet defended himself. “I probably won't get a wink up in that wilderness.” With that, he left for home.
The next morning after breakfast Frank and Joe drove again to the airport. First they made plane reservations for their trip, then met Jack Wayne for more float-plane lessons. The pilot took them up for some aerobatics. The boys took turns trying loops, steep banks, and rolls—getting the feel of the aircraft with the extra weight hanging underneath.
They stopped for lunch, then returned to the plane. Frank and Joe each made six take-offs and landings. By the end of the practice, Jack said they were skilled enough to pass the FAA proficiency test next day.
“What about floating debris on night landings?” asked Frank.
“There's nothing you can do about that.” Wayne laughed. “If you're landing in a strange lake or river, you just have to take a chance there isn't any.”
That night each of the boys shot six landings. Though they had done it often during the day, they found the experience an eerie one.
“Just decrease your speed until the plane begins to fall, and maintain a three-point attitude,” Wayne instructed. “Give yourself lots of room and come down flying. The only secret is to cut your throttle the moment the floats skim into the water.”
After a late snack the Hardys packed, then went to bed. They were tired from the full day's flying, and wanted to be awake to leave early the next day.
Frank and Joe arose greatly refreshed. They were just finishing breakfast when Chet arrived. The three boys were given last-minute advice and fond hugs by Aunt Gertrude, then were driven to the seaplane dock by Mr. and Mrs. Hardy.
BOOK: The Viking Symbol Mystery
8.73Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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